Trump Names Vance and Rubio as 2028 Contenders, Says Republicans Have a 'Great Bench'

President Donald Trump offered an early glimpse of the Republican Party's political future on Sunday, naming Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio among the prominent figures who could run for the White House in 2028, ANI reported.

In an interview with FOX 2's Roop Raj ahead of his Michigan rally, Trump said it was premature to name an outright front-runner. "I could tell you who I think, but it's a little bit early," he said. "We have great names — you have JD Vance, Marco Rubio, and many others. We have a great bench; they (Democrats) have no bench," Trump said, according to the ANI report of the interview.

Earlier, while leaving for the Michigan rally, Trump also touched on the Russia-Ukraine war and energy, reiterating that Washington would not allow global energy security to be compromised by the conflict. "We're not going to be hostage with the oil industry over something that, frankly, should've never started," he said, restating his position that the war was preventable.

The remarks came eight days before the November 3 midterms, which will decide control of both chambers of Congress and carry significant implications for the president's legislative agenda. Trump spent Sunday campaigning in Michigan, where the Senate race between Democrat Abdul El-Sayed and Republican Mike Rogers is among the contests that will help decide the Senate majority.